THE VOICE. InterContinental Hotel San Francisco

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E L E C T R I C A L C O N T R A C T O R S THE VOICE 2008 SECOND QUARTER L A T E S T S O U N D & C o m m u n i c a t i o n s T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S Alameda Contra Costa Fresno Marin Monterey Napa

of 2007 High-Tech Hotel Wiring And more... A publication of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of Northern California.

San Francisco yintercontinental Hotel San Francisco, 888 Howard Street ou have to be ahead of the curve to wire the Bay Area s most technologically advanced hotel.

Ceitronics implemented a high speed fiber backbone and sophisticated AV systems at the 888 Howard Street location, helping to provide an unparalleled experience to hotel guests.

Technicians from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 6 in San Francisco and IBEW Local 332 in San Jose wired the hotel.

1 E L E C T R I C A L C O N T R A C T O R S THE VOICE 2008 SECOND QUARTER L A T E S T S O U N D & C o m m u n i c a t i o n s T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S Alameda Contra Costa Fresno Marin Monterey Napa Sacramento San Francisco San Mateo Santa Clara Santa Cruz Solano Sonoma InterContinental Hotel San Francisco T H A T S E A L New Technologies E L E C T R T H E I O N A L Best IBEW/NECA Projects of 2007 High-Tech Hotel Wiring And more... A publication of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of Northern California. S Y M B O L I Z E S I C A L N A T E L E C T R I C A L C O N T R A C T O R S Q U A L I F I E D I O N I A T S A T I S F A C T I O N A S S O C IBEW/NECA wires the most technologically advanced hotel in San Francisco yintercontinental Hotel San Francisco, 888 Howard Street ou have to be ahead of the curve to wire the Bay Area s most technologically advanced hotel. That s why the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco chose NORCAL VDV Contractor Ceitronics and its team of virtuosos to integrate its new $3.5 million state-of-the-art communications system. Ceitronics implemented a high speed fiber backbone and sophisticated AV systems at the 888 Howard Street location, helping to provide an unparalleled experience to hotel guests. The new systems also reduce the building s carbon footprint by lowering energy consumption. The project began in February 2007 and was completed in May Technicians from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 6 in San Francisco and IBEW Local 332 in San Jose wired the hotel. In addition to the high-speed fiber backbone, some of the system s most interesting highlights (see center spread on pages 4-5) include advanced room occupancy monitoring, infrared sensing light switches and thermostats; automatic doorbells and do not disturb systems, and HD videoconferencing systems. The AV and communications consultant is Shen, Milsom & Wilke. The builder is WebCorp. Photo by Rien van Rijthoven Ceitronics as Engineer When you are using the latest technology as we were in this job, some of the components are so new that we have to implement special software to get the various products to work together correctly. More often than not Ceitronics works directly with the manufacturer during BETA testing of the software, said Scott Mitchell, General Manager of Ceitronics. Very little of the AV industry components are plug and play. Ceitronics works closely with the consultants to complete the details of the owner s vision and integrate the consultant s design with the various obstacles encountered during the construction of the building. That s why on the A/V side we have to have project engineers that are truly engineering the work. Built on a small footprint, the 33-floor hotel gracefully rises above San Francisco s happening SoMa district. The brilliant blue glass tower houses 550 rooms, topped by the duplex Presidential Suite with striking views of the city skyline and bay. The floors have only 22 guest rooms each, contributing to an intimated atmosphere. The hotel offers a ten-room spa and treatment center, along with a heated indoor lap pool and fitness center. The 43,000 square feet of conference space contain high-speed Internet access, ISDN lines, independent climate and audio-visual presentation systems and advanced security. Fiber Backbone Floors 1-6 incorporate the main lobby, front desk, bar and restaurant, conference rooms, and spa and treatment facilities. Ceitronics installed an additional high speed fiber backbone exclusive to these floors which has the bandwidth to handle the A/V requirements of these spaces, as well as plenty of room to expand. A Media Matrix audio system was used to provide high quality sound and manage the rooms independently. The entire first floor has an automatic sound leveling system that modifies audio levels by room based on ambient background noise. Ceitronics installed an independent sound system and HD video conferencing capabilities in the Executive Boardroom on the 4th floor. Each conference area has its own controls for background audio. Efficient Hospitality Ceitronics installed the main fiber backbone as an extremely efficient system that keys on room occupancy. Each room received eight Cat 6 four-pair cables to provide an IP based backbone for all services. Some of the cabling is connected to infrared sensing light switches and an infrared sensing thermostat in each room. The (Continued on back page) To find a NECA/IBEW Union Contractor go to

2 Featured IBEW/NECA Co InterContinental Hotel San Francisco; Ceitronics Photo by Rien van Rijthoven Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center San Leandro; Walker Comm, Inc. Sacramento Municipal Utility District Sacramento to Tahoe; Contra Costa Electric Photo by contra costa electric Kaiser South Sacramento Sacramento; Collins Electric Silicon Graphics Sunnyvale; Ceitronics Advanced Medical Optics Santa Clara; Paganini Communications, Inc. 2

3 ntractors Projects for 2007 Stanford Stadium Stanford; Redwood City Electronics Sheraton Stockton at Regent Pointe Stockton; Collins Electric St. Mary s College of California Moraga; Lloyd F McKinney Associates Sutter Roseville Medical Center Roseville; Collins Electric Dougherty High School San Ramon; Ceitronics Villa Venuto at Palm Valley San Jose; MDE Electric Company Photos by Mark Dafeo unless otherwise indicated 3

Floors 3-6 are conference rooms, with 1 ballroom on floor 5 and a grand ballroom on the third floor. The ballrooms are divisible to have multiple meetings and all audio is individually controlled.

4 Floors 3-6 are conference rooms, with 1 ballroom on floor 5 and a grand ballroom on the third floor. The ballrooms are divisible to have multiple meetings and all audio is individually controlled. Floor 2 acts as the Back of House and contains kitchens, management offices and the MDF Server room which houses the controls for the A/V systems through out the building. Media Matrix Audio system installed on floors 1-6. Allowing completely room specific control of ambient music from the MDF (Main Distribution Frame) Room on the second floor. A high speed fiber backbone was installed to handle the load of the A/V system and has plenty of bandwidth available to expand the system. Photos by Rien van Rijthoven The 6th floor has all of the spa facilities, and treatment rooms that all feature ipod docks as well as background music feeds. The Club InterContinental Lounge is also on this floor and features 2 42 plasma TVs. The fitness room has 2 42 plasmas as well. Hot tub, swimming pool area, and terrace all have independent music systems. The executive boardroom on the 4th floor is home to high end audio systems and an HD video conferencing system. The entire first floor has an automatic leveling system that maintains audio levels in each room in relationship to ambient background noise. The first floor contains the front desk, lobby, bar area, restaurant, and private dining area with distinct audio for each room controlled centrally in the MDF. The bar has 3 32 televisions providing entertainment. The PBX (Private Branch Exchange), control system for phones, is found on this floor as well. The MPOE (Main point of entry), the main termination point of all cabling entering the building was built in basement 2.

InterContinental Hotel San Francisco IBEW/NECA builds the most technologically-advanced hotel in the country.

the hotel itself. The building has infrared sensing lighting installed in all 550 rooms for energy saving.

Doorbells also indicate room occupancy and can be set to Do Not Disturb.

Upon check in rooms are automatically turned on allowing climate control and lighting to begin to function.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning), and elevator machinery were built into the 34th floor.

5 InterContinental Hotel San Francisco IBEW/NECA builds the most technologically-advanced hotel in the country. The InterContinental Hotel Group gave union contractor Ceitronics a challenge when requesting the most technologically advanced hotel in San Francisco. Ceitronics delivered a masterpiece of building automation, high quality audio and video systems, and advanced room occupancy monitoring. The high-tech systems provide guests with an unparalleled hospitality experience and maximize costs and efficiencies for the hotel itself. The building has infrared sensing lighting installed in all 550 rooms for energy saving. The lights are automatically dimmed if no movement is detected in the room. Doorbells also indicate room occupancy and can be set to Do Not Disturb. The rooms are also equipped with infrared sensing thermostats that provide energy savings by monitoring the room occupancy. Upon check in rooms are automatically turned on allowing climate control and lighting to begin to function. The two IR light switches and the thermostat are tied to the nearest IDF to relay to and from the MDF. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning), and elevator machinery were built into the 34th floor. The top floors are reserved for the Presidential and Executive suites. Both suites offer spectacular views. The audio systems in the suites feature A/V receivers for full surround sound. The Presidential Suite features 50 and 42 plasma TVs with a single 50 in the Executive Suite. Electrical closets, IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame), were built on floors 1, 3-6, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, and 33. Each IDF acts as a communications hub relaying information for use in the building management system.

6 Veracity Consulting s Sean Price sees growing role for convergence technology There is no way to compare union versus non-union technicians. The training provided to IBEW technicians isn t provided to non-union technicians; unfortunately, non-union technicians learn their skills on the job at the expense of the client. Sean Price, President and CEO of Veracity Consulting Veracity, founded in 2000 in North- &A ern California, has grown to be one of the industry s leading, futurefocused providers of IT consulting, design and management services. They serve as the Information Architect working with and supporting traditional architectural teams in the rapidly developing and technically demanding field of intelligent building solutions. Their primary objectives are to reduce capital expenditure through the convergence of systems infrastructure and to utilize technology to reduce and stabilize clients operational expenditures. Q: When a client comes to you with a request for new system architecture, what are your first steps? A: We begin our programming sessions much like any other consulting firm. What differentiates our programmers from other firms is our ability to segue into a technologist roll and speak to the topics of building intelligence and the convergence of building systems into the physical layer. (Information Architect) Q: What are some of the current trends in systems architecture? A: Everything seems to be a trend these days. Our company integrates Photo by Veracity Consulting BAS and IT platforms so we are always looking to see what products are emerging and what level they can perform at. Q: The entire low voltage industry seems to be making a push for convergence of as many systems as possible. How is this affecting Veracity s offerings to customer and how are you staying ahead of this trend? A: Our message to clients is to converge as many systems as possible so we welcome the push from the industry. However, we still believe the push for convergence is in its infancy (or educational) stage. It seems that every article you read these days you will find someone talking about convergence or some other industry buzzword. The question is how many clients are actually converging multiple building systems? I believe there is a lot of opportunity in a relatively untapped market at this point. Q: Can you give an example of the extent of a project where you pushed the envelope in regards to convergence? A: We are currently in the design development phase of a project where all systems have been designed to reside on a single building network. There is no pushing of an envelope when your technologist understands the client s expectations and designs the building systems to the current available products. However, we are always implementing new technologies and testing new products at our EBC. Q: What are some of the current obstacles to a truly unified single monitoring system for building systems? A: Knowledge! We are designing buildings today with a single unified monitoring system. Open protocols like BACnet, Lon, Modbus, and OBIX have made it easy to integrate systems. Products like Field Server, Tridium, Black Box and others have made it easy to connect these systems together. But to make these systems truly interoperable requires great system design and up-front forward thinking. Q: How are these obstacles being overcome now? A: With the advent of connected real estate, these obstacles are being challenged today. The expression Information Architect is starting to become an industry term. Bringing these technologists into the planning stages with the architect and MEP teams and designing interoperable systems up front and over the physical layer is the first step. Q: Are manufacturers beginning to address this trend by making their architectures more available? A: Manufactures have spent millions of dollars on their hardware and software products and have gone to great lengths to keep their intellectual property to themselves. Most all manufactures have an open protocol product line or gateway into their systems. Because of the complexity of the different protocols and the systems available, we recommend that an information architect gets involved early in the project to aid in the selection of the different manufactures and protocols. Q: What is your opinion of the quality of work performed by IBEW technicians you have worked with (versus their non-union counterparts)? A: There is no way to compare union versus non-union technicians. The training provided to IBEW technicians isn t provided to non-union technicians; unfortunately, non-union technicians learn their skills on the job at the expense of the client. For more information contact Sean Price at sean@veracityconsultants.com, visit or call x705 Kirk Cowan 6

HD Conversion and Green Movement Drive Demand for New Technologies The brave new world of high tech is driving progress within the sound and communications industry at a breakneck speed.

7 HD Conversion and Green Movement Drive Demand for New Technologies The brave new world of high tech is driving progress within the sound and communications industry at a breakneck speed. The record pace of emerging technologies is primarily spearheaded by manufacturers that are responding to customers needs and wants, but the industry also has its pioneering technologists who are striving to pull customers along with them. Here s a brief look at some of the most interesting breakthroughs: Conversion to Digital Broadcasting Many customers are changing to HD video because of the impending FCC mandated conversion to digital broadcasting, which takes effect on February 19th, With all broadcasted signals converting to digital by next February, the scramble has begun to upgrade sets and systems to accommodate this change. Green Directives Manufacturers and installers are also working to stay ahead of Going Green. In Europe, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic equipment. American manufacturers have taken this directive to heart, not wanting to lose lucrative European markets. This, in turn is pushing the green electronics movement within the U.S. and similar stateside legislation in the near future. Security System Upgrades IT systems and wireless technology are driving a change in the technology for security systems. Wireless IP based surveillance systems are becoming more widely used, along with monitoring systems online. The Dallas Police Department recently deployed a wireless mesh technology of over 500 cameras in a recreational area. Officers in patrol cars were able to monitor the cameras via the internet. Redundancy built into the system makes it extremely stable and the wireless technology allows for an ease of installation far beyond that for conventional wired technologies. More on Emerging Technologies Next Issue... GE Legend TM IP PTZ Camera Photo by GE Photo by GE How can I find a CCTV Contractor? Briggs Electric, Inc. Contact: Greg Dye gregdye@briggselectric.com 5138 Metric Way, Carson City, NV Tel: (775) Fax: (775) CAL Communications Service Co. Contact: Randall J Weber randy@calcsc.com 525 Second St., Rodeo, CA Tel: (510) Fax: (510) Ceitronics Contact: Scott Mitchell scott_mitchell@cei.com 2460 Zanker Rd., San Jose, CA Tel: (408) Fax: (408) Contra Costa Electric, Inc. Contact: Chris Payne chris_payne@emcorgroup.com 825 Howe Rd., Martinez, CA Tel: (925) Fax: (925) DK Technology Contact: Darren Willis, RCDD & John MacKay, RCDD dwillis@dk-technology.com Dublin Blvd, Suite C-153 Dublin, CA Tel: (925) Fax: (925) Dynalectric Company Contact: Dave Griffy david_griffy@emcorgroup.com 414 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Eilbacher Electric Contact: William Eilbacher lectrospec@aol.com Vargas Rd., Fremont, CA Tel: (510) Fax: (510) The Facilities Group Contact: Thomas Ward tward@facilitiesgroup-sf.com 400 Brannan St, Ste 7, San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Groseclose Electric Company Contact: George Yeager gyeager@redshift.com 231 Commission St., Salinas, CA Tel: (831) Fax: (831) Harris Electric Contact: ErinLisa Miller emiller@harriselectric.com 6681 Sierra Ln #A, Dublin, CA Tel: (925) Fax: (925) Intrepid Electronics Systems, Inc. Contact: Kurt Brinkman kurt@intrepidelectronic.com 4377 Adeline St., Emeryville, CA Tel: (510) x115 Fax: (510) J M Electric Contact: Frederick Jensen faj@jmelectric.com 400 Griffin St., Salinas, CA Tel: (831) Fax: (831) Lloyd F McKinney Associates, Inc. Contact: Rick McKinney rick@mckinneyassoc.com Cypress Ave., Hayward, CA Tel: (510) Fax: (510) McMillan Security Systems Contact: Mike Schimm 1515 S Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA Fax: (415) Metropolitan Electrical Construction, Inc. Contact: Gary Olson golson@metroelectric.com rd St., San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Netversant-Northern California Contact: Russell Hayslip rhayslip@netversant.com 1411 S Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas, CA Tel: (408) Fax: (408) Paganini Communications, Inc. Contact: Larry Andrini larrya@pagcos.com 190 Hubbell St., San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Point 1 Electrical Systems, Inc. Contact: Shane Stoltenberg info@point1.com Huntwood Ave., Hayward, CA Tel: (510) Fax: (510) Quality Sound Contact: James Bryan jbryan@qualitysound.net 2010 E Fremont St., Stockton, CA Tel: (209) Fax: (209) River City Community Corporation Contact: Ben Wadsworth bwads@rivercitycom.com 643 W Stadium Ln., Sacramento, CA Tel: (916) Fax: (916) Rosendin Electric, Inc. Contact: Terry Legler tlegler@rosendin.com 440 Ninth St., San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Spectrum Contact: Robert Rivera rrivera@spectrumccsi.com 226 North Lincoln Ave., Corona, CA Tel: (951) Fax: (951) Steiny and Company, Inc. ssteiny@steinyco.com 27 Sheridan St., Vallejo, CA Systems Edge a Division of California Electric Company Contact: Annita Deitrick annitadeitrick@californiaelectric.com 3015 Adeline St., Oakland, CA Tel: (510) Fax: (510) W Bradley Electric Contact: Robert Bourdet 90 Hill Rd., Novato, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415) Walker Comm, Inc. Contact: Gary & Donald Walker donaldw@walkercomm.com 521 Railroad Ave., Fairfield, CA Tel: (707) Fax: (707) Young Electric Co, Inc. Contact: James Young jpy@youngelec.com th St., San Francisco, CA Tel: (415) Fax: (415)

VDV Union Contractors (IBEW/NECA) in Sound & Communications combine a skilled and trained work force with world class technology.

systems, fire/life safety systems, and CATV, call a union contractor or visit www.norcalvdv.org. NORCAL VDV norcalvdv.

guest enters. The rooms themselves are held in a standby state, conserving energy, until the guests check in at the front desk.

The doorbells of the rooms can also be set to indicate do not disturb. Each room also has wi-fi and a docking system for ipods.

Some of the products we used on this project were so new they used bleeding edge technology.

8 VDV Union Contractors (IBEW/NECA) in Sound & Communications combine a skilled and trained work force with world class technology. For the best installations in voice/data/cabling, network systems, data center facilities, audio/video systems, sound systems, fiber optics, wireless, security systems, fire/life safety systems, and CATV, call a union contractor or visit NORCAL VDV norcalvdv.org InterContinental Hotel (continued from page 1) sensors allow the lighting and heating to be powered down when the rooms are empty and to be powered up when a guest enters. The rooms themselves are held in a standby state, conserving energy, until the guests check in at the front desk. Upon check in, the rooms are automatically turned on, allowing climate control and lighting to begin to function. The doorbells of the rooms can also be set to indicate do not disturb. Each room also has wi-fi and a docking system for ipods. The low-voltage-systems industry is constantly changing, said Scott Mitchell. It s evolving more rapidly than any other MEP discipline. Some of the products we used on this project were so new they used bleeding edge technology. Ceitronics employees continuously update their skills by attending the latest seminars and by developing close ties with engineers of the various AV manufacturers. That s why Ceitronics does the actual final engineering, and that s why it takes a lot of coordination. But, at the end of the day, the technology is integrated seamlessly and the hotel s guests have the latest in amenities at their disposal. Main entrance to the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco Photo by Rien van Rijthoven

ALAMEDA CONTRA COSTA FRESNO MARIN MONTEREY NAPA SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO SAN MATEO SANTA CLARA SANTA CRUZ SOLANO SONOMA

ALAMEDA CONTRA COSTA FRESNO MARIN MONTEREY NAPA SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO SAN MATEO SANTA CLARA SANTA CRUZ SOLANO SONOMA A P U B L I C A T I O N O F N E C A - I B E W, N O R T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A 2017 SECOND QUARTER L A T E S T S O U N D & C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S ALAMEDA CONTRA COSTA